Wade Ro34..

[baz_d69]

I've read the few threads on here and the old forums on these Wade units, it doesn't seem like many are using them. I've found one, for £400, and I'm weighing up the pros and cons. I'd really appreciate your input on this! It'd be going on a stock SD1 3.5 (it's got the FASD).

Pros:

Comes with stock rover manifold machined to mount the blower.
Pictures show that the rotors seem fine
According to the seller bearings are tight and the unit is a good working one.

Cons:

It's a stock manifold, I can't see it being too hard to machine an adaptor plate to fit it to an edelbrock manifold

Ro34's usually come with that 90 degree intake, but its been machined off so it's flat. This would be a good thing, but there are no threads showing where/how the carb was mounted, which in turn makes me wonder if this guy ever actually ran it.

He doesn't have the drive snout (as far as I can tell from the pictures, still waiting on his reply)

It's £400, which seems expensive in comparison to the other secondhand options out there, although it's one of the only suck through options I've seen so far, apart from a GMC 6-71 which is local.

Any help is real appreciated, this'll be my first proper post from a 2 year lurker

[ian.stewart]

Wade have fallen out of fashion probably due to the amount of modern, more efficiant blowers on the market, wade dont seem to be able to produce sensible amounts of boost without reliability problems, A friend of mine had no end of trouble with a wade he was using, and eventually ending up seizing on a motorway,
Dont forget the newest wade is probably 40 years old and had numerous rebuilds of varying quality,
I think there is a charger on this site for sale, member Ihateissycars has jag chargersurplus to requirments.

[Alley Kat]

Nigel at UK Blowers recons them for £350 approx. Has it got pulleys etc, would add to cost. Their safe rev limit is about 5250 so need to be slightly underdriven. Not as strong as GMC type blowers. 6/71 is a bit big for a 3.5 isn't it, I thought 4/71 was about right.
Well worth looking up Nigel and talking to him. All the above is from research & talking to him so not personal experience, when I looked into Wades for mine; so don't take it as gospel, ring Nigel he's a very helpful and knowledgeable bloke...

[baz_d69]

Good point Ian, I had forgotten that they're not made anymore, and didn't realise it'd been that long. I have pondered about that Jag 'charger on here, but as far as I know, eatons are blow through only, aren't they.

Thanks Alley Kat, I'll give Nigel a ring sometime this week. I did think that a 6/71 would probably be too big.

It's probably best to give this Wade a skip then.

[kiwicar]

is Gav selling the Jag supercharger now? thought he only just got the thing, seemed only about a fortnight ago he was posting about how to fit it and set it up
Ho Hum
Mike

[ihatesissycars]

Well, i was all up for it until i looked at the clearance necc for the blowers outlet and how to bolt the bugger on. I had an idea in my head but the more i looked and thought about it the more i was put off by it. Sadly though i had to buy the blower and offer it to the car to find this out. . . . . Nuts.

[kiwicar]

Hi Gav
mount a layshaft to the left hand side of the block driven off the crank pulley at the same level as the crank, cut a hole in the pasanger footwell and run a belt up from the layshaft to the level of the dash. Mount the blower through the bulkhead back into the rear of the engine bay, problem solved and you your passenger can admire your handy work.
Mike

[ihatesissycars]

I think you're being silly now. . . . . . cool idea though!

[kiwicar]

Gav how can you say such a thing Ive never been silly in my life! After all I picked a very sensible and practicle kit car project to build. I'm never silly
Mike